Local Home Depot Gives Volunteers, Materials to Smoky Mountain Children’s Home
Sevierville, TN–More than a dozen Home Depot workers recently volunteered their time to help renovate a cottage at the Smoky Mountain Children’s Home in Sevierville. The fifteen employees refurbished a housing unit in need of updates and repairs. Once renovations are completed, the cottage will provide housing for eight at-risk teenage boys.
Two Knoxville television stations and The Sevierville Mountain Press were all on the Smoky Mountain Children’s Home campus on March 22, 2016 to cover the story.
Roger Goode, store manager of the Sevierville Home Depot, applied for and received a community involvement grant from The Home Depot corporate office, donating $7,000 worth of products to the children’s agency.
“Seeing children that go from transitional housing or foster care is something I’m extremely passionate about, and anything we can do to make that easier for them and make it feel more like a home to them, we definitely want to jump in and help,” Goode commented.
“Smoky Mountain Children’s Home is a private, faith-based agency that provides housing, education and professional care for children facing emotional, behavioral or life challenges. We operate largely on donations and volunteer support; thus, making this community contribution extremely important to SMCH,” said Dr. Coleman Peacock, Director of Communications for SMCH.
Dr. Walt Mauldin, Executive Director of the Smoky Mountain Children’s Home stated, “We really could not have completed this project without the assistance of The Home Depot. This incredible team is appreciated for providing all the materials and for volunteering two days out of their valuable personal time. It would take us weeks to accomplish what they completed in a matter of hours! The Home Depot’s efforts will make a difference in the lives of many children, both now and in years to come.”
The $7,000 donation was applied toward new lighting throughout the facility, replacing bathroom fixtures, adding smoke detectors, and all new blinds. These Tennessee volunteers offered unpaid labor for the electrical work and other maintenance tasks.
“Projects like this serves as a good example of what can be accomplished when the community comes together for a common good,” Peacock concluded. “The City of Sevierville and surrounding areas accomplish this on a regular basis, helping at-risk children in the heart of the downtown area. Working together, we are building the future of our community, bettering the lives of our youth, one child at a time.”
